Bearing



May 31,1927. 1,630,369

, C. BETHEL BEARING Filed Nov. 5. 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 'LS-m y v .AToRNEY C. BETHEL May 3l, 1927.

BEARING Filed Nov. 5, 192s 4 sheets-sheet 2 mvx-:NToR Claude ezhe/ WITNEssEs:

ATTORNEY C. BETHEL May 31, 1927.

EARING v Filed Nov. 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fly.

INVENTOR f C/dude t/le/ ATTORNEY WITNESSES: @iwf WFQQM loil well.

Patented May 31, 1927.l

CLAUDE Eismann, or "wltxriiseime,'.Panivsnvanm., assianoiz To 'Wns'r'rNG'HoU'sE' ELECTRIC yaManni?.acaami\'er corre-.anne CORPORATION. or`1 pennsylvania-i [My invention relates to bearingsy 'and it has special relation to rsleeve-bearings Yfor railway service. i

In the copending` application of 'C. Bethel and 'ric-[lundi No' September 28., 1923, `patented 115111128119257- w No.V 15355560, and. assigned to the Westinghouse Electric and lManutf'ictiiring Com-Q.

pany, is described 'asleeve bearing vcomprising a herme'tically closed oil reservoir hav'- ing at its lower portion an opening -coifnim'in'icat-ing withanoll well `from whlchthe oil issupplied to the bearing journal by means lof a capillary feeding wick. The quantity of oilv which is thus 'supplied'to the.' bearing depends on the oil lift'ingfheiglit"of the well and is sensitive to variation'sof the oil' level in the oil well.

I have found that the expansion of the or` gas which is trapped inftlieoil reservoir A morespeciiic. object of my invention 'isto provide an 'oil-ei;pa nsion chamber'com;

munica'ting with theoil well forlinc'reasing the active area of `the oil well, 1n 'bearings ofthe abov'elescribed character.

A further object of my 'invention is to pr-ovide means for preventing the fibroiis capillary `oil feeding'i'nean's,V whichfare drsfposed in the oil 'well proper, from enterin the oil expansion chamber adjacent to the Y A San further Object of my invention is 'te .provide a vlo'earingof the abovefdescribed vcharacter wherein Ythe oil supply `level be arranged at any desirableheight.v l

vVlith vthe foregoing andfotli'er objects in View? my invention lconsists in the arrange-` ments and details of construction described and claimed hereinafter andv illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a transversesectional view of a' bearing housing provided with an expan-l Fig'y. 3 is a horizontal sectional View along the linel III-III of Fig.` 1, illustrating the 4ig. 2 is a plan view on the bearing shown BEARING."

Application filed November' 5, 77119213Q4Seria1 No. 3372501.

cnnmu'ni'cating passagesbetween theoil `res .i A`

erv'oir, .the oil lsupply well and the oil ei pansionjchamber; Y

isy an 'end elevational.,view of aj .y .l 60

'bearing housing illustrating my inven. 0115. n Figa is Sectional Viewjalong .theine' VH-[Yfof 'the 4bearing illustrated in Fig. 4; andy-L, f 'f Y. l

Figs. 6 and 7 are explanatory diagrams. illustrating Icert-'ahi principlesv employed in theconstruction of the bearings made 4ac- @fading tcinyinvemion.-

. A InFigsfl, 2 and 3 is shown abearing housing comprising a bearing sleeve .1 rounding a journal 2fof a rotating machine. The befaringfslfeeve is Amounted in afbeafring collar 3 which is formed in the 'bearing nous! ying 'and has an openingliregistering witha lubricating Vchamber 5l which 0ccupiesy one side of the housing. AThe other sideoftl'ie housingfis occupied by an joil reservoir l6.'

which iS formed .iffeerally With the beaune. housing and communicates, througha pas-jl sage v7V under kthe bearing collar`3, with an f opening 8 leading to :the lower portion of the lubricating chamber i5 and constituting the `oil-*supply w-ellor'feeding chamber 9 of tlie\"bearing. The jlubricatinggchamber is tightly packed with a waste 10, or ysimilar removed' or renewed by. unscrewing bolts 11 which secure a. `,cover 12 enclosing an open?. ing 1n the vupper. portln ofthelubricating chainbeir l5. yAlfillinghole13 which is disolftheV capillary feeding action of the fibrous oil-feeding means 10, Vthe oil f isca'riied `from the level 16 in the oil supply'vvvjell 9 through tliefklubricating openinv thebearigsleeve 'and thence tothe bearing journal 2. The amount` of lubricant.

which, is'thus supplied :to thejournal '2.-is determined-by the total cross-sectional area "of 'the Acapillary feeding means'atr the sup-,. ply level ofthe oil well,tlie lifting height of the capillary oil feeding'inens, i." e. the 'difference inl the levels of the voil supply 'opening 1 and the oil `supply level 16, and

the-viscosity and other properties f the lubricating oil, thelatter being principally determined by the lubricating requirements ofthe journal. Y' 'I' 'g y 'Y Y y W y, ieeaeeaj bearing collar 3. A decrease of the oillevel 16 permits the passage of air bubbles undeig' fthe rib v17 into the space above the level V18A VThe oil level 16` in the Well Sis by the highest level ot the communicating' passage 7 and, in order to arrange the level at aY desired height, I provide a rib 17 extending fdowniva'rdlyr from the lower lportion of the of the oil in the oil in the'V reservoir 6, displacing al corresponding amount otoil from thefreservoii until tlie level 16 reaches the height of'the-loi'vest edge o'l the i'ib17. f The .arrangement of the rib 17V `tor determining the oil supply level 16v permits the designv ofbearings 'having any desired level height without thenecessity ot making extensive changes in the bearingconstruction. a feature which is very importa-nt in i'ioanufactureA andparticularly, in providing the molds-for the 'bearing housing castings.

As mentioned liereinbeiore,

- found that, incase there isanappreciable volume of air or gas in the space aboveV the oil levelv18 ofthe oil reservoir 6, the trapped-r gas-volume may expandexcessively by reasonof Vabnormal temperature changesl and i V'displace a'large quantity of oil irom the Voil in the oil Well!) ,sincethe totalare'a-'of thev oil Well 9 is necessarily small andis determined by the quantity 'of oil which is ordi-' reservoirythereby raising the oil-supply level 16. Such` displacement oit the oil pin thelower portion of the lubricating chamber causes'a.relatively.laige rise of the oil level narily-required for the lubrication of 5 the -journalv2, i.. e., by therequired sectional area Yof the capillary oil feeding means.

- vIn order to cure the above-mentioned difviculties, I yhav-e provided anoil-ex'pansion vchamber 19 communicating, throughone or more slots 21, directlywith theoilrWellQ in the loiver portion oi the lubricating chami bei 5 and permittinga free communication ofy the oil therebetween. The primary purpose of thel expansion chamber 19 isV to increase lthe total area of the oil level in .the

supply endo't the bearing, thereby decreasing to arminimuin the fluctuations attendant upon'a displacement of a delinite quantity of oil from the oil reservoir 6. The .eXpansion .chamber 19 is` really an Vintegral .part

Y et the lubricating chamber 5, serving merely Y ting aiiee communication.of'thefoil between 'the three spacesgvvhileat the same time conlining the Waste or the capillary oil feeding means 10 to the lubricating chamber 5 only.

' The latter provisionA is important vsinceit is necessary to -so v.packV the Waste into' the chamber) as to` prevent therove'rflooding of Withthe foregoingobjectsinviein y 'vide a chamber v25 extending upwardly from of the oilv the oil-supply side of the bearing during the periods When the filling-hole plug 111 is removed for the V purpose oi filling the oil.

reservoir 6. I have foundvtliat by packing the Waste tightly, into the lubricatin'gcham- '.ber, the Vamount of oil which Will'pass into the lubricating chamber during the relative- I ly short. interval necessary toV Yfill the oilV reservoir, is relatively small and substanf tiall-y not appreciable.

A'flange 23 is provided on the bearing for mounting to an 'end bracketjol a dyn amoelectric machine,not shown. l

In Figs. 4 and 5 is shown a modification of my invention wherein I provide, in addi.-k

tionv to the expansion' chamber 19, another arrangement 'tor securing any desired height of 'the oil level at the supplyY endl Whileretaining.V the samesimplicity' of construction Whichcharacterizes the bearing shown vin' Fig. 1..l Themodiiedconstructionis of .par-

ticular impoitance Where the properties of the oil require a shorter liftingheight-for Vthe capillary oil Alifting 'means than can be provided in the bearing shown 4in Fig. l. lIt

is oftenk desired that 1 thedoil-supply level shall be higher than the lower. :edge of the communicating passage 7 between the oil f Well Qand the oil reservoir 6. K V

I prolthe v communicating Y passage 7 reservoir on the otherside 'of the bearing .collar. The upper portion of .the chamber 25'commiinicates With the upper portion of oil reservoir 6 kby means ci a communicating passage 26 `which be 'made in -a practi* loo cal manner by drilling a' relatively Vsmall hole in a solid portion ofthe bearing housing through*y the-*Opening which is provided orthe filling hole k,13,

The oil chamber 25 is separatedironi the oil .Well 9v of Vthe lubricating chamber by aY commonyvall 27 and communicates there- With through an oil supplyVL opening 28. The upper level of the oily supply opening is determined by' meansV oi a diaphragm 29 Vwhich may be secured by means of a screw- 30 to thecommon .ivall 27 of theoil chamber 25aiidthe oil Well V9. rIhe oil chamber 25 is open at one side permitting 'an adjustment oi' the oil-level,determining diaphragm 29 and is hermetically enclosed by means ojf` a cover 3l and sci'eivs 32.'

The eliects ofthe hereinabove-described iis arrangements may be readily understood by` f consideringliigs, Gand 7. InfFig. 6 is schematicallyshoivn a connection" between an oil reservoir 6 and anoil Well .9, as utilized vin the bearingillustrated in Fig., l.

The highest level 16 of the oil .in the oil Well Will be determined by the highest level of the communicating passage between the oilreservoir and .the oilWell, i. e.,V bythe lower eage- Oi aie rib i7; in Fig. @the Qii'pweiie menace is shown provided also with achannel 34 communicating with the space inthe upper portion .of the oil reservoir 6. In the latter.

arrangement, the oil level ink the oil .wellt9 will rise to a height where it seals oltthe communicating passager 34 leading to the upper portion vof the oil reservoirand the oil supplylevel is thus determined by the highest level of the communicating passage of the channel *34. In my modified 'bearing construction shown in Figs. l and 5, the

diaphragm 29 determines the upper levelo acteristic of the bearing constructions `and arrangements illustrated herewithaiid which may be equally Well utilized in connection with other apparatus which is subject lto j similar d-iiiiculties.

Various Vmodiiications of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is -my desire that the appended claims shall cover all modifications andarrangements which come within the scope and spirit of my invention.

.Iclaim as my invention: Y

l. TheV combination with a bearing, of means comprising a hermeticallyjclosed vessel having an oil-supply opening atitsvlower portion, a lubricating chamber cominunicating therewith for receiving oil from said opening and adapted to lmaintain -anoil ,level corresponding approximately Vvto the top of. the lowest portion of said oil-supply opening, capillaryfibrous oil-lifting means immersed in the oil in said chamber for feeding oil to said bearing andI extending upward Afrom the oil level in said chamber, said lubricating chamber-having a partition restricting the space occupied by said capil lary oil-lifting meanst'o-'a portion thereof' only, but permitting the free flow of theoil over the entire width of the chamber.'

2. A journal bearing comprising a collar siirrounding the journal andv having a lubricating opening communicating therewith, a

lubricator chamber and a liermetically closed oil reservoir adjacent tol said collar, said lubricator chamber and said reservoir having a communicating passage for oil in their lower portions, respectively,y said lubricating opening communicating with the upper portion of said' liibri'cator chamber, and capillary fibrous oil-lifting means disposed in j said liibricator chamber and extending be-y tweenthefoil level and s aid lubricating opening, said lubricator chamber having a pan tition restricting the space occupied by said capillaryv oil-lifting means to a portion thereof only, .butperinitting the 'free flow of the oil over the-entire width offsaid lubri cater chamber. f j 3. A journal'bearing :comprising a-'colla'r surrounding the journal `and having alubrieating'k opening communicating therewith, "a lubricator chamber extending adjacent to said'opening on one side ofsa'id collar', alierj-Vl f inetical-ly closed oil reservoir .disposed "on theother sidefof said collar and havingl at its lower portion an extension disposed'under the bottom of said collar for communi` eating with the lower portion of said lubricator-chamber, the oil level in said lubricator chamber being dependent upon' the highest level of said communicating extension uiiderneatli said collar, saidlubiica'ting'openf ing being disposed above sai'doil level, andl capillary fibrous oil-feeding means disposed insaid lubricatingchan'iber for feeding oi'l from saidoil levelto said lubricating `openine. f C

4..Tlie combination with abearing lubrif cator, of oil supply means therefor compris 4 v ingvav'hermetically closed oil; reservoir, Aa chamber extending' upwardly from, and iin communication with, cthe lower portion of saidoil reservoir and havingV an'v openingl Communicating with -the Yupper portion .of saidoil reservoir, an oilreceptacle adjacent vto said chamber Vhaving an lopeningc'o m-V ingnieans in said oil receptacle.l f i l 5. ,The combination with aI bearing-lubricato'r, of oil supply means therefor compris*- ing a hermetically closed -oil reservoir, a chamber extending upwardly-troni, and in communicationwith, tlieloi've'r portion of municating with said chamber, yand oil-lift-y said oil reservoir and havin@ an Vopening f communicating withjthe upper portion ot said oil'reservoir, an oil receptacle adjacent Yto said chamber. having an "opening `communicating withf said chamber, adjusting means for varying the highest level of said last-mentioned opening, and means orjren dering said adjusting means 'accessible from the outside.- i'

6. The .combination-with lubricator, of oil supply means therefor compri'si Y ing a hermetically closedrcservoir, a closed lchamber extending iipwardlyitrom the lower f j portion of said oilr reservoir and liavingin its lower portion an opening communicating therewith, any oil receptacle adjacent vto said chamber having an opening communicating with said chamber, the upperflevel of said first opening` being lower ,than the Vupper level of saidvsecond opening, Pand means" for providing an air-pressureequalizing channel ,between the upper v'portions 'of said chamber and said oil reservoirrespectively. f

7. The combination with` a bearing lubricator, of oilsu-pply means thereiorl compris-y ing hermetically closed ,reservoir,= a closed chamber extending upwardly fromv the lower portion oiisaid oil reservoir and 'having inv its lower' portion an opening communicating therewith, an oil receptacle havingFV an opening communicating with said chamber, the upper level of said first opening` being lower than the upper level or" said second opening,

andnieans for providing an air pressure eqnalizing channel between the upper( portions ofsaid chamber and said oil'reservoir respectivelyrand means for adjustably controlling` the'upper level of the opening leadinfr to said oil receptacle.

8,' Ajournalbeariro' comprising a collar surrounding 'the journal and having-a lubricent to said -lnbricator chamber, said close-d chamber having an opening disposed above theupper level ot said extensionvfor supply'- ing oilto said lubricatorv chamber, means for providing "an air-pressure equalizing channelV between the upper portions of chamber and saidoil reservoir,respectively,

said 'closed and capillary oildeeding'means disposedv in said lubricator chamber for feeding oily fromV Ythe oililevel-of said oil-supply opening to said lubricating` opening. I l 9; A Journal bearing coinp'risinga collar surrounding` the :yournal andk having a lubrieating opening 'communicating therewith, a feeding chamber extending adjacent to said,

openingen one side Vot said collar,a'her- Vinetically closed oil jreservoir disposed on the other side of said collary andhaviiig at its lower portion an extension, v'aclosed chamber extending upwardly from, and communicating with, said extension and disposed adjacent to, said feeding chamber, said closed chamber ,having yan opening'for supplying., "oilY to said feeding chamber, means for providing an' air-pressure .equalizing channel betweenjtlie upper portions of saidl closedchainber and lsaid oil reservoir, respectively, capillary oil-feeding meansdisposed in said ieeding'chamber for feeding` oil from the oil level of said'oilsupply opening` to said lubricating opening, and a second chamber disposed adjacentpto said feeding` chamber yand separated therefrom by a aertorated .wall forv maintaininol the saine oil level as said feeding chamber while restricting,theretothe space occupied by said capillary means.

10. A 'ournal with, a lnbricatorchamber extending adjacent to said openingen one'side of said col,-` Vlar, a hermetically vclosed oil reservoirdisposed on theother` side of said collar and having Aat vits lower portion an extension disposed underthe bottom of said collar, a

y bearing,` comprising a col--V lar surrounding the journal. vand having ay lubricatingr vopening communicating there# A65 closed chamber eirtendingl upwardly from,

disposed adjacenttoy said lubricator chaniber, said closed chamber having an opening" disposed above the upper level of said .eX-`

tension for supplying oil to said lubric-ator Y and communicating with, said extension and f chamber, a lchannel member disposed above said collar and extending between' the upf per portions of said closed chamber and said oil reservoir, respectively, vfor equalizingthe gas pressure therebetween, capillary foil-` eeding means disposed inpsai'd lubiicator chamber for feeding -oil'froin the oil levelof said Aoil supply opening," to' said lubricating.v for adjusting the height-Y opening, and means oi the opening leading to said lubricator chamber.` I i 'f H A "11. Ajournal bearing comprising a collar surrounding; the journal and having a i lubricating l opening communicating therewith, hermetically closed lubricator chamber extending;` adjacent to said yopening Aon one side'of said collar, a vhermetically closed oil Vreservoir :disposed on the other side: of

said collar'andhaving at its lower'portion anlextension disposed under the bottoinfo' said collar, a closed chamber extendingup-V wardly from said extension andrlis'posed.

adjacentV to said lubricator chamber, said closed chamber havingan opening` disposed above the upper level-'ot said efdensionV for supplying oil to said lubricator chamber, a

conduit disposed above said collar and eX- tending between the upper-portions `oi`said closedfchamber and said oil reservoir, i-espectively, for Veqi'ializing the airf pressure therebetween, disposed in said lubrieator chamber kfor feeding oil Vfrom the oil levelof said oil supply opening and means for adjusting the highest level rorf-the 'opening' leadingto said capillary oil-feeding'-V means lieI lubricator chamber, one of the'walls of said closed chainbercon'iprising a tight-fitting' removable member' for providing access to said level-adjusting' means. Y i

.In testimony'whereof, I' have hereunto subscribed my naine this 29th `dayof Oc` tober 19nd] i f i CLAUDEBETHEL. 

